Like many aspects when seeking a car insurance policy, different insurers will have different ways of approaching how a driver’s age affects their premiums. Depending on the provider, there may be special policies relating to over 50s, over 60s, over 70s and even over 80s.

The older you are, the more likely it is that you’ll meet a provider’s criteria for senior or mature driver’s insurance. It may be a struggle, however, to find appropriate cover from certain insurers. Some may even refuse to offer car insurance policies once a person reaches a set age – sometimes 70, 75 or 80 depending on the provider.

Data obtained from the DVLA in 2018 suggested that almost 12% of all licence holders in the UK are over the age of 70. Additionally, it’s estimated that there are currently more than a million over-80s active on the roads every day. Regardless, insurers may be a bit more wary when offering cover to an older driver because of various aspects of risk.

Sadly there’s no escaping the fact that, as we get older, we become more vulnerable to illnesses and medical conditions. Whether it’s relatively minor issues like weaker eyesight, or something more serious like mobility problems with arms or legs, certain conditions often develop naturally and are inescapable.

If there’s a possibility that a medical condition could affect or interfere with your driving ability, it must be declared to the DVLA, as well as any insurance provider you deal with for vehicle insurance in the future. This can potentially drive your premiums up, or even result in you having to find another provider if you’re refused insurance by certain insurers.

Additionally, the statistical likelihood of risk begins to increase from around the age of 65. While the level of risk to older people is still much smaller than compared to under-21s, aspects like potentially delayed reaction times may cause a bit of concern for insurance providers. Because of this, slightly higher premiums will be unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t shop around to find the cheapest quote.

Despite a slightly higher possibility of risk putting your average premiums up a bit, you can still get a competitively priced quote for your car insurance. If your existing provider has presented you with an eye-watering amount for your renewal, it’s likely you’ll be able to find a much cheaper quote elsewhere.

There are also a few little extra things that you can do to help keep your costs down. A low estimated mileage for the year ahead demonstrates that you may not be making long journeys on a regular basis, and therefore you’ll be less likely to end up involved in an accident.

You can even opt for ‘black box’ insurance, in which your provider will ask you to fit a tracking device in your car that records certain data about your driving style. It monitors things like your speed control and distance travelled, as well as picking up on bad habits like harsh braking, to feed the relevant info back to your insurer. Through this, they may be able to reward your sensible driving with slightly lower premiums in the future.

To make sure you get the best possible quote for your senior or mature driver’s insurance, Arkwright will consult with a large panel of different insurers. Armed with the relevant information about your unique set of circumstances, we seek out various policies that match your needs so we can determine the cheapest possible offer for you.

Call us today to speak to one of our expert team and discuss the ins and outs of your insurance needs. You can reach us on 01204 392 525 or click the “Get a quote” button to send us a few details. We can then get back to you and have a friendly chat about senior and mature driver insurance at a time to suit.